Portfolio Executive Summary

The KE26604 Computer Architecture and Microprocessor course is a 4 credit hour

course comprising of lectures, lab sessions, tutorials, design and development
group assignments. The course objective was to expose students to the usability
and applications of the Intel x86 series assembly language allowing us to gain
knowledge on the programming language, understanding its syntax and codes
and writing functional applications. The course also thought us regarding the
architecture of computers and allowed us to gain an in-depth knowledge about
the design of a microprocessor via the use of ModelSim software. Lab sessions
were conducted for the whole 14 weeks duration. From week 1 to 7, the lab
sessions were regarding the Intel x86 series assembly language. The first week
we were introduced to this assembly language and were made to understand the
structure of the program and how it is written. During the second and third labs
we were exposed to the available addressing modes of the Intel x86 series as
well as correcting a given program and implementing it to view the desired
output. The following weeks we gained further knowledge on assembly language
programming via design of application assembly programs using jumps functions
such as jae, je, jmp etc., looping functions such as loop, loope, loopez etc.,
procedural functions such as proc near or proc far, and many other functions of
the x86 series. The programs were made functional and the resulting outputs
were analysed further for better understanding of the assembly language. Prior
to obtaining sufficient knowledge of the use of assembly language, we were
given tasks as groups requiring us to design our own assembly language
program for a given application title. Through the group assignment we were
able to understand further on the available functions of the x86 assembly
language as well as the method of writing simplified programs for complex
applications for example via I/O file operations which make the program more
simple and concise. Moreover, the experience of working as a group also allowed
us to find satisfaction after successful completion of the group assignment as
only through working as a group can the project be completed with ease and
implemented successfully.